KITTITAS COUNTY PLACES

The purpose of this page is to identify some towns, flag stations,
communities, and locations that were used in describingwhere people lived.
Some still exist; others are no longer there. The information was compiled from
various sources.Please contact KCGS if you know of any additions or
corrections.

BASIC INFORMATION ON THE BEGINNINGS OF KITTITAS
COUNTY

The first white man known to be in the County's area was Alexander ROSS who
first traveled through in 1812. There were others who later came through, and a
Catholic mission was begun in 1848 on Manastash Creek. In 1860 HALD & MEIGS
of The Dalles, Oregon, had a trading post at Manastash Ford. The area was
established as Ferguson County in 1863 and in 1883 it was divided with this area
becoming Kittitas County. The first families (ROZELLE and HARRINGTON) tried to
live here the winter of 1865, but it was too harsh. By 1866 William WILSON was
here living with the Indians. In 1867 Frederick LUDI and John GALLER started the
first settlement which was on Manastash Creek near where it flows into the
Yakima. Later that year the Charles COOKE family came to the area followed by
other permanent families (the HOUSER and SPLAWN families and others). The
Presbyterians started a church in 1879. The first child born here, in 1869, was
Violetta SPLAWN, followed a few months later by twins born to the DAVERLIN
family. The first Post Office was established in 1869 at Taneum Creek. The
Northern Pacific Railroad came through in 1886.

BADGER POCKET
Badger Pocket is the southeast part of the lower valley. It was crossed by early road from The Dalles.
BEEKMAN
The company town of Beekman, just north of Ronald, was known also as Jonesville. From 1913-1928 some300 miners and their families lived there and it was a stop on the Northern Pacific Railroad line.Jonesville (Beekman) no longer exists.
BERTHA
Bertha was a Post Office from 1898-1900. It was located on the Northern Pacific line, about 6 miles west ofCle Elum.
BEVERLY
Beverly is on the east side of the Columbia River just south of Wanapum Dam and Vantage. It is mentioned inour historical information, however it is actually in neighboring Grant County. Beverly Junction is acrossthe river from Beverly and is in Kittitas county.
BLEWETT PASS
Route of the original gold miner's wagon road over the Wenatchee Mountain Range between the Swauk MiningCamp and the Peshastin Mining Camp. It was named Blewett Pass because the Blewett Mining Company maintainedthe road for years. The cross-state Sunset Highway was built over the pass in the early 1920's and then theroad was realigned in the 1950's to go over nearby Swauk Pass. People continued, however, to call it the"Blewett Pass" Highway. The State Department of Transportation finally ended the confusion by renamingSwauk Pass as Blewett Pass. Today the new road, Highway 97, goes over "Blewett Pass" and the old road goesover "Old Blewett Pass". There was once a lodge at the top of Old Blewett Pass, but it no longer exists.
BOYLSTON
Boylston was a Post Office from 1910-1919. It was on the Milwaukee Railroad, 10 miles SE of Kittitas. Its 1920population was 20.
BRISTOL or BRISTOL FLAT
Bristol was a small railway station and trading point. It was situated at the mouth of Swauk Creek, 9 miles southeast of Cle Elum.
CASLAND
Casland had a Post Office from 1919-1930. It was located in the fork of the Teanaway River, 6 miles northof Cle Elum. It was founded in the 1890's, reached a peak population of 400, and by the 1930's had disappeared.It was a railroad town with a water tank for steam engines.
CHERRY CREEK
It is by Kittitas, in the eastern part of the lower valley. It was also known as Warm Spring Creek.
CLE ELUM
Judge Thomas L. GAMBLE founded Cle Elum in April of 1883 along the Yakima River, 20 miles NW of Ellensburg.His claim was in Section 26, Township 20N, Range 15E. The second settler was his friend Walter J. REED.Cle Elum first had a Post Office in 1887. Cle Elum is situated on the upper Yakima River, just below wherethe Cle Elum River enters the Yakima. It is on the main line of the Burlington Northern - Santa Fe(originally the Northern Pacific RR). The trains still go through town, but no longer stop there. In 1900the population was under 300, by 1904 it had a population of 1,500. The 2000 US Census lists its populationas 1,755. Today the town is growing quickly due to the establishment of a new large planned community(Suncadia Resort), which is situated to the west of the main part of Cle Elum. It has also been known asClealum.
COCKEN
Cocken was a post office location from 1885-1886. The exact location is not known, but it is possibly nearS8, T20N, R22E.
CLIFFDELL
Cliffdell was a Post Office from 1924-1934 along the Naches River about 25 miles northwest of Naches. It isnear the Kittitas Co. and Yakima Co. lines.
COLEMAN CREEK
Coleman Creek was originally known as Altapes Creek. It flows south through the lower valley to the southfoothills and to the Yakima River. It was named for Charles Coleman.
COLOCKUM PASS
This is the area of the Wenatchee Mountains that the stage line passed over, following the old Indian trailcalled the Colockum Trail.
COOKE CANYON and CREEK
This in the Wenatchee Mountains (north side of county). The creek runs from the Wenatchee Mts. to thesouthern foothills where it joins the Yakima.
DENMARK
Denmark was by the south foothills of the County, southeast of Ellensburg. It was settled in the 1890's byDanish families, hence the name.
DUDLEY
Dudley was a flag station on the Northern Pacific. It was located between Thorp and Bristol.
EASTON
Easton was a railroad station village situated along the east side of the Yakima River. It had a Post Officebeginning in 1890. It is 13 miles northwest of Cle Elum. The town was platted by A.O. and W. W. JOHNSON in1902. The plat was on 3 acres in Township 20N, Range 13E. The early population had lumbering and railroadoccupations; it had a well-known sawmill. The population in 1904 was 150; the 2000 US Census gives a populationof 383. Today it also sits along I-90, it has a few merchants and a school.
ELLENSBURG
Ellensburg was founded on Wilson Creek, about 3 miles from its confluence with the Yakima River.Andrew Jackson SPLAWN had a store that in 1871 was sold to John A. SHOUDY and William DENNIS. SPLAWN's storehad the name "Robber's Roost", but Mr. SHOUDY renamed it Ellensburgh in honor of his wife. The final h in thename was dropped in 1894 by the post office. In 1872 the SHOUDY's erected a second cabin and Jacob BECKERstarted a blacksmith shop. In 1873 Ellensburg got a Post Office. The SHOUDY's recorded the first plat in 1875in Section 2, Township 17N, Range 18E. In 1886 the Northern Pacific was built through the town. At Statehood,the local citizens petitioned for Ellensburgh to become the capital of the new state, but the honor was givento Olympia instead. On July 4, 1889, a fire destroyed most the business district and much of the residentialarea. The city was given the State Normal School in 1890, which became Central Washington College ofEducation, then Central Washington State College, and is now Central Washington University. Ellensburgis known today for its Labor Day Rodeo (since 1923), Ellensburg Blues (agates), and Jazz in the Valleyfestival. Ellensburg was the home of artist John CLYMER who did more than 80 Saturday Evening Post covers;his art is shown in the Clymer Museum on Pearl Street. The 2000 population was 15,414 according to theUS Census, and housing developments continue to add to its edges constantly these days.
FAIRVIEW DISTRICT
Fairview District is in the northeast part of the valley, east of the Yakima River.
FISH LAKE MINES
This area was 31 miles by stage from Cle Elum (listed in the 1920 Kittitas Co. phone directory).
GALENA
Galena was located at the junction of Camp Creek with the Cle Elum River in the Cle Elum mineral district,about 30 miles northwest of Roslyn. The town site was platted by A. F. YORK, a County surveyor in 1890. Itwas intended to be the large town in the Upper Cle Elum area and was the terminus of the old Northern Pacificsurvey into the mining country. Thirty-five blocks were platted and many sold, but it existed in nameonly. However, it was a Post Office location from 1905-1909.
HYAK
Hyak was located along the Milwaukee Railroad at the east end of the Snoqualmie Tunnel, 17 miles NW ofEaston. It had a Post Office from 1919-1958. Today Hyak has a ski resort area known as Summit East, betweenSnoqualmie Pass and Lake Keechelus. Its 1920 population was 30.
JONESVILLE
The company town of Beekman, just north of Ronald, was known also as Jonesville. Charlie JONES was themine superintendent. From 1913-1928 300 miners and their families lived there. It was a stop on the NorthernPacific Railroad line. Jonesville (Beekman) no longer exists.
KEECHELUS
Keechelus was a Post Office from 1915-1919. The exact location of the Post Office is no longer known, butit was near the lake. It is 22 miles northwest of Cle Elum. In 1920 the population was 25.
KEECHELUS DAM CONSTRUCTION CAMP
This camp was home to about 700 people from 1912-1917. It was located about 5 miles south of Hyak, on thedownstream side of Keechelus Dam. In about 2000, the US Bureau of Reclamation had an archaeological dig ofthe site done.
KITTITAS
Kittitas was platted in April 1884 by the Kittitas Improvement Company. J. D. DAMMON was president andAustin MIRES was secretary of the company. The project was later abandoned. The town was established finallyin 1889, but was not incorporated until 1931. It was on the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad, and thedepot is the only remaining feature of the yards that were there. The Depot has been put on the NationalRegister of Historic Places. Kittitas today has a population of 1,105 (2000 US Census). It has a few stores,a post office (opened in 1909), a small city library, and its own School District. It sits about 1 milenorth of I-90 and is about 7 miles east of Ellensburg.
LAKEDALE
Lakedale was a village on the Roslyn brnach of the NPRR, 4 miles west of Roslyn.
LAUDERDALE
Lauderdale was located at the junction of Highway 97 and Highway 970 on Swauk Creek. The place was originallycalled McCallum after Peter McCALLUM established a store there in 1882 and a post office in 1884, to serveminers in the Swauk Mining Camp and farmers on Swauk Prarie. The post office closed in 1897 and the areacame to be called Virden because Virden School was located there. In 1921 Lloyd LAUDERDALE opened a gasstation and lodge and the area then became known as Lauderdale. In 1973 the State Department of Transportationrealigned the road and destroyed the station. The area is now without a name on the map.
LIBERTY
Liberty is the name of a historic gold mining camp on Williams Creek, two miles off Highway 97, twenty-twoiles from Ellensburg and seventeen miles from Cle Elum. The area was first settled in 1873 when gold wasdiscovered in Swauk Creek near the mouth of Williams Creek. The camp was called Swauk mining camp. Soonthere was a second camp two miles up Williams Creek and it was called Williams Creek mining camp. In 1892 apost office was established in the Swauk mining camp, but the postal authorities would not allow it to becalled Swauk Post Office because there was already a Sauk Post Office on the Sauk River. Instead it was namedLiberty. In 1897 the Williams Creek mining camp was renamed Meaghersville after a miner who discovereda major gold deposit at the site and who had a store there. Mining activity gradually moved from Liberty onthe Swauk to Meaghersville on Williams Creek. In 1912 the Post Office was moved, building, sign and all,to Meaghersville and Meaghersville gradually came to be called Liberty. Map makers have been confused aboutthe location of Liberty ever since. Today Liberty on Swauk Creek does not exist and Liberty on WilliamsCreek is a seventeen acre historic district with a population of 14.
LONEROCK
Lonerock was a Post Office that began in Chelan County in 1904, but was located in Kittitas County from1907-1908. It was located at the Gulick farmhouse, 15 miles south of Galena on the Colockum Pass Road.
MANASTASH RIDGE, CANYON, and CREEK
Manastash is a main ridge along the south side of the valley, south of Ellensburg, with the Yakima RiverCanyon cutting through the mid-section of the ridge. Manastash Creek was the site of the Mission built in1848 by the Catholic missionaries. Today I-82 cuts through the ridge.
MARTIN
Martin was a flag station and railroad construction camp on the Northern Pacific Railroad, and also known asTunnel City. It was located along the old Seattle-Walla Walla Trail. Platted in 1886, it had a Post Officefrom 1892-1902. It was located 4-1/2 miles northwest of Easton, at the eastern end of the Stampede Tunnel.It had a few small businesses.
McCALLUM
McCallum was the name of a store and stage stop established by Peter McCALLUM in 1882 on Swauk Creek at thepresent junction of Highway 97 and Highway 970, eighteen miles northwest of Ellensburg. It had a Post Officefrom 1884 to 1897. The area was later called Virden and then Lauderdale. Today it does not have a nameon the map.
MEADOWBROOK
Meadowbrook was a Post Office from 1913-1916. It was located at the southeast end of Lake Keechelus, alongthe Milwaukee Railroad.
MEADOW CREEK
Meadow Creek, population 100 in 1920, was at that time a discontinued Post office location on the Yakima River andMilwaukee RR, 25 miles from Cle Elum. Mail went to Keechelus.
MEAGHERSVILLE
Meaghersville (pronounced Mearsville) was the name of a gold mining camp on Williams Creek. Originallyit was simply called Williams Creek camp. Then it was briefly referred to as New Yakima and in 1897 the nameMeaghersville was adopted. Thomas MEAGHER had discovered an old channel gold deposit and had a prosperousmine at the location on Williams Creek. He, together with Charles BIGNEY another prosperous miner, laid out atownsite that was name Meaghersville. In 1912 the Liberty Post Office was moved to Meaghersville andMeaghersville gradually came to be called Liberty. Liberty still exists as a living ghost town with apopulation of 14.
MILTON
The Milton Post Office, 1881-1884, was actually housed in several farm homes. All of these farms were abouta mile or so northwest of Thorp.
MINERAL SPRINGS
Mineral Springs is a campground and restaurant in the Wenatchee National Forest near where Medicine Creekenters Swauk Creek, along Highway 97 near Blewett Pass. It was originally called Sulpher Springs and was afavorite place for camping and taking mineral baths. The mineral springs no longer exist, but the name liveson.
MOUNTAIN HOME
Mountain Home was at the present juntion of the old Blewett pass highway and the new Blewett Pass highway onSwauk Creek at the mouth of Hurley Creek. SASSA's Ranch was a wagon stop on the original wagon road betweenthe Swauk gold mining camp and the Peshastin gold mining camp. There also was a sawmill at the site whichburned in 1921. Mountain Home on Blewett Pass no longer exists. Mountain Home was also the name of theCOFFIN Ranch on Colockum Pass. It does still exist.
MURDOCKNANEUM CREEK and CANYON
This was the location of one of the first Catholic missions. The Creek Crosses the lower valley and meetsYakima by the southern foothills.
NELSON
Nelson first boomed in the 1880's when the Northern Pacific Railway came through. It was on the Yakima River6 miles south of Easton and Cle Elum was the closest post office, though Nelson did have it's own post officein 1905. It was a town of loggers and miners. There was a school there from 1910-1935, and in 1935 thepopulation was 50.
NEW YAKIMA
New Yakima was an early name of the Liberty area. Also see the information on Williams Creek andMeaghersville.
OREN
Oren was another name for the Milton Post Office, in the same area (northwest of Thorp), but from 1884-1891.
PLEASANT GROVE
Pleasant Grove had a Post Office after Taneum, fro 1872-1881. The Post Office, however, was located indifferent homes during that time period.
RECLAMATION
Reclamation was a Post Office from 1922-1923. It was located near the end of Lake Keechelus.
REECER CREEK
Reecer Creek runs from the north to the Yakima River, on the west side of Ellensburg.
ROBBER'S ROOST
Robber's Roost was the store that was originally formed by A. J. (Jack) Splawn and Ben Burch in 1870. Theysold the store to John A. Shoudy in 1872. Mr. Shoudy renamed the community that sprung up around itEllensburg in honor of his wife. (See Ellensburg above)
ROBINSON CANYON
Robinson Canyon is southwest of Ellensburg between Manastash Creek and Taneum Creek.
RONALD
Ronald lies at the mouth of the No. 3 mine of the Roslyn Coal District, 2 miles northwest of the city ofRoslyn. In 1904 it was described as having a discontinued post office (which had opened in 1890) and nobusiness establishments, with a population that had numbered 2,200 at one time. The closure of the mineremoved the city's support. In 1920 the city had a population of 700. The city was named for Alexander RONALD,an early superintendent of the mines. Today there is a small community with a store and a tavern.
ROSLYN
Roslyn was a coal-mining town, which opened to the commercial world in 1886, but coal was discovered there in1885. Logan M. BULLITT platted the site of Roslyn at the mouth of the mines; he was a vice president of theNorthern Pacific Coal Company at the time. Roslyn is located 3 miles NW of Cle Elum, at Section 17, Township20N, Range 15E. The Post Office there opened in 1887. At one time the town was connected to Cle Elum, whichis 4 miles away, by a freight train on a short branch line. With the many nationalities that came to work inthe mines, Roslyn developed a very unique cemetery. There are 3 city and about 23 fraternal and ethniccemeteries in a small area next to the town. The 1920 population was 4,200. Today's population is 1,017 accordingto the 2000 US Census.
ROWAN
Rowan was a Post Office from 1911-1912 and was renamed Wymer in 1912. It was on the Yakima River 16 milessoutheast of Ellensburg, along the Northern Pacific Railroad.
ROZA
Roza was a flag station for the Northern Pacific Railway. It was situated 21 miles south of Ellensburg in theYakima River canyon, and 10 miles north of Yakima. It had a Post Office from 1904-1935. The 1920 populationwas 60. Today there is a dam and a BLM recreation site.
SALMON LA SAC
Between 1890 and 1900 about 1,000 people lived in this area, mostly miners and loggers. In 1912 Frenchinvestors built a railroad depot there for an interurban line that was to run to Yakima, but it was neverbuilt. Today that depot is a US Forest Service Guard Station.
SNOQUALMIE PASS
This is a small community at the far west edge of Kittitas County. It has a ski area, currently known asSummit West. 2000 population is 201.
SOUTH CLE ELUM
South Cle Elum is located along the Milwaukee Railroad line. It less than 1 mile south and across the riverfrom Cle Elum. The Post Office opened there in 1909. According to the US Census of 2000, its populationis 457.
SPARTA
Sparta was located 3 miles southwest of Ellensburg, on the west side of the Yakima River. It had a PostOffice from 1879-1882.
STAMPEDE
It was flag station of the NPRR, 49 miles NW of Ellensburg. Easton was the post office.
SULFER SPRINGS
Area now known as Mineral Springs (see above).
SWAUK
Swauk was the original name of the gold mining camp on Swauk Creek at the mouth of Williams Creek. It wasstarted in 1873 and in 1892 was renamed Liberty when a post office was established in the camp. The postoffice was moved the Meaghersville in 1912 adn Meaghersville came to be called Liberty. Swauk and old Libertyno longer exist.
SWAUK MINING DISTRICT
The mining district was formed in 1873.
SWAUK PRAIRIE
Although some books show this as having a settlement, researchers have not found this to be anything otherthan a prairie area in the county.
TAMARACK SPRINGS
Tamarack Springs is on State land today, southwest of Kittitas.
TANEUM
The Post Office there closed in 1870. Taneum Canyon and Creek are about 2 miles NW of Thorp.
TEANAWAY CITY
Teanaway City was platted in 1885 by Henry ORTLEY, and a Post Office was located there from 1885-1901. Init's heyday it had quite a few shops and businesses. By 1888 the businesses there moved to Cle Elum and thetown had all but disappeared. The last operating place was the depot, which closed in 1909. It was locatedalong the Northern Pacific tracks, near the current Teanaway Junction area. This is along the Yakima River,about 4 miles southeast of Cle Elum.
THORP
Thorp is a farming town, about 8 miles northwest of Ellensburg and 17 miles southeast of Cle Elum. In 1904 ithad a population of approximately 200; in 1920, 375; today's population is about 273 (2000 US Census). It issituated on the west bank of the Yakima River. The main line of the Northern Pacific used to run through town, soit was an important shipping point at one time. Currently the Burlington Northern-Santa Fe runs there, but thetrain does not stop. It had a Post Office beginning in 1881. John N. and Sarah Isabel NEWMAN filed the firsttown site plat 9 July 1895. In May 1900, Milford A. and M. Thorp added Thorp's Addition to the town. In 1885Milford THORP (who settled here in 1879) bought James McMURRAY's claim and it became the land the town stoodon.
THRALL
Thrall was a flag station on the Northern Pacific Railroad. It was located about 5 miles southeast ofEllensburg. From 1911-1915 it was a Post Office location. Its 1920 population was 200.
TUNNEL CITY
Tunnel City is a town site project that came to nothing. J.S. WISNER laid out the city in 1886. It was tobe at the eastern end of the Stampede Tunnel. The area was also the Post Office of Martin. Today nothingremains.
UMTANUM
Umtanum was a flag station on the Northern Pacific Railroad. It was 13 miles southeast of Ellensburg, at themouth of the Umtanum Creek (today called Umptanum), on the west bank of the Yakima River. A Post Officewas located there from 1906-1911.
VANTAGE
Vantage is 26 miles east of Ellensburg, along the Columbia River. A bridge across the Columbia River wasbuilt there in 1927. The original town was moved uphill when it was flooded by the water held back by WanapumDam. It had a post office from 1945-1964. Today it is also known as the location of Gingko Petrified Forest.It is a small community; the 2000 population is 70 (US Census).
VIRDEN
Virden was located at the junction of Highway 97 and Highway 970, along the Swauk Creek. It was originallycalled McCallum because of the McCallum Post Office there from 1884 to 1897. George VIRDEN came to the areain 1876 and homesteaded on a ranch on Swauk Creek and also mined gold in the mountains east of Liberty. TheVirden school was started on his land and the area came to be called Virden. Later it became Lauderdale.Today it does not have a name on the map.
WENASS (today known as Wenas)
"The Wenas" (the Wenas Wildlife Area of the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife) is an area of mountainridges and foothills. It is south of Ellensburg, and west of the Yakima River Canyon.
WHISKEY DICK CANYON
Whiskey Dick Canyon is on the east edge of Kittitas County, and drops from the Kittitas Valley to the ColumbiaRiver. It has an intermittent creek. Today it's name titles a well-known annual triathlon, which has a climbfrom the River to the valley as one of its sections.
WILLIAM'S CREEK
William's Creek was the original name of a gold mining camp on Williams Creek two miles from its junction withSwauk Creek. It was briefly called New Yakima and then, in 1897 was named Meaghersville. In 1912 the LibertyPost Office was moved to Meaghersville and the area became known as Liberty. Liberty still exists and has apopulation of 14.
WILSON CREEK
This creek was named for William Wilson who was the first settler in the Kittitas Valley. It runs through theCounty Fairgrounds on the east side of Ellensburg.
WYMER
Wymer was settled in 1906, and was a Post Office location from 1912-1938. It was a Northern Pacific flag station inthe Yakima Canyon, 16 miles SE of Ellensburg. Its 1920 population was 114. (See Rowan)